Today was spent getting organized for my 2.5 month stay. I cataloged what I needed in the apartment if anything to make the stay here comfortable and more like home. I was pleased to find that there was not much that I had not brought with me that I needed.

I headed out to go shopping that the Victor Hugo market so I would have food for breakfast and lunch. It was fun to return to the large covered market and know which stands that I wanted to buy what I needed from. I headed to Maison Garcia to buy some jambon. I bought some Conte cheese from Emilie’s Formage. I bought a baguette Maison Beauhaire. This Boulangerie’s owner has a Meilleur Ouvrier de France. This is a honor given to artisans who after a test are considered the best of their craft. I learned about the Boulangerie and the award on a tour of the market I went on the last time I was in Toulouse. I bought some fruit at one of the fruit/vegetable stands on the outside of the market.

I wandered over to my favorite patisserie to get a Chocolatine (pain au chocolat in southern France). I, also, bought a petit chocolate eclair and a petit raspberry tart. I have found Au Poussin Rose the last time in Toulouse and loved their pastries. The good thing about the bakery is they make small versions of their larger pastries so I can get the small ones and enjoy them instead of eating a huge pastry.

As I crossed the street, I saw a large group of people with signs and chanting a couple blocks further up the road. I did not go down the street to see what they were protesting but it was the first protest I had seen on either trip to France. Spring is protest season in France so I might encounter more protests on this trip.

After returning to the apartment and unloading my groceries, I had headed out again to have lunch. I run on Thursday night so I have a larger lunch as the run is at 7:00 pm and I do not want to have to cook dinner after the run. I went to Le Petit Quai, a very nice little restaurant. It has about 16 seats for dinners. There is the proprietor and one other staff member. I had a chicken quarter on parsnips purée with a small salad. I had a nice glass of white wine with the meal. The whole thing cost me $20 with the exchange rate.

From lunch, I went to the InterMarche (our equivalent of a larger supermarket chain) and bought some necessities that you cannot buy at the market. Mainly cereal for breakfast and some hand washing soap that was not in the kitchen at the apartment. The cereal, hand washing liquid soap and cookies (a weakness of mine) cost $7.21. This all seems much cheaper that Washington.

In the evening, I headed to the Place de Capitole to join the Run in Toulouse group. The weather is really bad here at the moment with a severe wind warning with sustained winds of 25 mph and gusts that are much higher. I did not expect that many people to show up for the run but there were about 30 people for the run. Because of the way Toulouse is built you are sheltered from the worst of the wind while on the streets. Most of the wind is felt in the more open areas near the river and parks. I was not disappointed by the run as we took a route that I had never run before. It is one of the things that I enjoy about the run group is almost every run has some variation so it feels like a different run every time.

I bought my first bottle of wine today. I bought a wine from the southwest part of France where Toulouse is located. It is a Gaillac which is a right region just north of Toulouse.

All in all a good day in Toulouse.